Restoring biological soil crusts (biocrusts) in degraded drylands can contribute to recovery of ecosystem functions that have global implications, including erosion resistance and nutrient cycling. To examine techniques for restoring biocrusts, we conducted a replicated, factorial experiment on recently abandoned road surfaces by applying biocrust inoculation (salvaged and stored dry for two ye...

CONTENTS 3.1 Temperate Region Soil Differences .................................................................................. 28 3.2 Challenges to Soil Fertility and Management................................................................ 29 3.2.1 Soil Organic Matter Restoration and Conservation.......................................... 30 3.2.2 High Nutrient-Use Efficiency .................

Question: What is the relative contribution of geographic distance, soil and topographic variables in determining the community floristic patterns and individual tree species abundances in the nutrient-poor soils of central Amazonia? Location: Central Amazonia near Manaus, Brazil. Methods: Our analysis was based on data for 1105 tree species (> 10 cm dbh) within 40 1-ha plots over a ca. 1000-km...

Small−holder farming in semi−arid areas is being forced to change to compensate for the needs of more people living under conditions of increasingly variable rainfall. As more land is used for agriculture, rangeland areas are reduced, so limiting the availability of animal fodder. The length of fallow periods where soil fertility may be restored is also reduced. This has forced herders and farm...

The definition of soil quality encompasses physical, chemical and biological characteristics, and it is related to fertility and soil health. Many indicators can be used to describe soil quality, but it is important to take into account sensitivity, required time, and related properties, than can be explained. Properties related to organic matter content, such as C/N ratio, organic carbon fract...

The purpose of developing a fertility program is to ensure that adequate levels of nutrients are available for plant uptake in support of the yield potential for the climatic, plant genetic, and soil environmental factors impacting plant growth in any given field. A regular soil sampling program is the best way to obtain the information necessary to develop such a fertility program. An occasion...

Beans require adequate amounts of all essential plant nutrients for optimum growth but only a few nutrients are documented to be needed for southern Idaho soils. These nutrients include phosphorus (P), nitrogen (N), zinc (Zn), potassium (K), sulfur (S), and to a much less extent B, Cu, Mn and Fe. University of Idaho Agricultural Experiment Station research as well as research from throughout th...

Knowledge of spatial variability in soil fertility is important for site specific nutrient management. In this study, spatial variability in properties that influence soil fertility such as soil organic carbon (OC), available N, available P O and available K O in surface soils of 154 farmers' fields of Karlawad village in 2 5 2 Navalgund taluk of Dharwad district of Karnataka (India) were quant...